The Fallen Hero
by TheRedwallFan
Summary: In Mossflower Woods, a great threat has grown over the seasons. The Warlord Liulfr Darkpaw is plotting to take over Redwall. What will happen when Redwall's Champion dies in the battle and seemingly takes Martin the Warrior's spirit with him?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Liulfr Darkpaw was quite a large beast for his age of merely fourteen. It was said that he could see anything within two miles of him, even in the deepest forest; but that part was purely a rumor made up by the captains of the horde he commanded. Liulfr wore no armor, unlike his hordebeasts; he preferred being swift then being encased in a suit of metal. Running could save a beast's life. He did, however, carry a massive Warhammer, a long hardwood pole attached to the crushing end. That was it; he needed no others.

Liulfr came from the lands of Ice and Snow across the great seas. His mother had been a snow fox; she had died when he was young. Liulfr had never known her name. His father had been the most ruthless beast ever to sail on the seas, a great Timber Wolf called Rafe Darkpaw. Rafe had died fighting a mighty wolverine hybrid named Zyntec Tataroo, and had nearly taken the monster's life with him.

The Timber Wolf's army, which he had aptly nicknamed the Darkblade, consisted of over two thousand beasts, an assortment of fox, ermine, rats, ferrets, stoats, weasels, and his second in command, a large Poisonteeth adder called Sarrow Poisonfang Ripface Goldeye. Every hordebeast was armed with a varied assortment of weapons; bows, knives, slings, javelins, spears, tridents, staffs, maces, sabres, claymores, katana, cutlass, rapiers, and longswords.

And they were aiming to take over Redwall.


	2. Chapter 1: Twilight

Chapter 1: Twilight

Chapter 1: Twilight

Darkness shrouded the trees of Mossflower Woods and the coast of Salamandastron in an eerie light.

The beast moved with an eerie stride that suggested he had done this many times before. Not even a glimmer of light could illuminate the figure's silent form as it bent down to pick a fistful of sand and sniffed it. The dark, unblinking eyes of the creature flicked toward the massive mountain of Salamandastron that stood like a sentinel on the shores. It sniffed once more as the scent of hare and badger mixed in the air around it like a misty cloud.

A thin ray of weak moonlight shown down on the creature's form, and it hesitated as the pale light faded slightly, shining down on the black eyes of the male hare, the plain black fur, mixed in with tinges of brown and gray in places. They fixed themselves on the flicker of movement that came from the base of the badger mountain-a patrol of five hares. They marched out into the unforgiving darkness.

Varjak Barkpaw the rogue hare smiled as the unsuspecting patrol approached, hate shining in the black eyes like the flicker of a flame in the night. Taken from Salamandastron when he was young, raised in the way of the vermin warrior, taught that the badger lord was the one who had started his plight.

With his twin katanas stuffed carelessly in his waistsash, Varjak slipped through the close trunks of Mossflower Woods. The leader of the hare patrol was obviously the big, brawny hare that stood out ready in the front of the group wielding a rapier-Varjak's eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness.

The big hare signaled to his group as Varjak somehow managed to slip past their left side, slipping deeper into the woods with each step. A young hare, new recruit, gave a small gasp and fell into a sitting position. The big hare turned. 'Fluffpaw! No lyin' down on the job!'

Another young hare prodded Fluffpaw and turned. 'Sergeant Darkfur, e's dead!'

Darkfur's mustache bristled as the hare that had just yelled to him slumped across Fluffpaw's legs. Instantly, the three remaining hares formed a circle, on alert. An arrow whistled silently out of the darkness, and yet another, only leaving Darkfur alive. A spear claimed the hare sergeant's life and Varjak stepped out of the black haze.

Five hares weren't enough. They would all die.


	3. Chapter 2: Redwall!

Chapter 2: Redwall

Chapter 2: Redwall!

The young rat pressed his paw to the red sandstone wall of Redwall Abbey.

He was only newly trained, a scout in the mighty army of Liulfr Darkpaw. But strangely enough he had been the one chosen to scout out Redwall for weak points. Of course, he had brought his group. They consisted of a heavyset weasel of around nineteen, a thin, agile, swift ferret, and a young rogue otter.

The rat Jiv withdrew his paw, uncomfortably aware of the three pairs of eyes burning into his neck. Whipping around, staggering slightly, the rat grinned, exposing two saber-like fangs, causing the more timid otter to shrink back slightly. Jiv felt around the bottom of the massive walls, digging in the soft earth. He motioned the huge weasel Rotfang closer to him. The weasel's giant paws flexed, showing the long knife sharp claws.

'Rotfang, ye' dig 'ere. We'll see what we ken find eh?'

The massive weasel inclined his scarred head, just slightly, enough to acknowledge the rat as the leader. As the weasel bent down to dig, a scream arose from above Jib's head. He looked up, unsure of what was going on, and spotted the pale tan face of a mouse, the blue-gray eyes riveted on them even through the shroud of darkness. The sun was beginning to peek across the treetops, and a thin ray hit the face of the otter, Vaeli Lutra.

Without thinking, the otter thrust a knife upward. The mouse recoiled just in time to save his life; a spot of blood appeared between the narrowed eyes, full of fear. A screech flew through the air-and it was not the mouse's.

'Martin! Get down from there this instant!'

The four vermin spies ran.


	4. Chapter 3: Varjak

Chapter 3: Varjak

Chapter 3: Varjak

'Are you telling me we let a rogue hare kill five of ours?'

Lord Moonstripe BlackHammer's voice was a deep booming baritone that rang through the ears of the one hare present. The badger lord's temper could range from calm to Bloodwrath. The young Runner Snowpaw Longear could only hope Moonstripe hadn't gotten up on the wrong side of the bed…

'SNOWPAW! Pay attention!'

The young hare must've jumped about a foot in the air. 'Yes Sir Lord Moonstripe sir!'

Moonstripe BlackHammer picked up his massive Warhammer and admired the wooden handle, the black hammer on the end that could crush even the strongest of beasts. The two words rolled off of his tongue like a snake's sibilant hiss. 'Varjak Barkpaw.'

Snowpaw threw a feeble salute in the badger lord's direction. 'You'll pardon me askin', sire, but what's a Varjak Barkpaw, if'n I may be so bold tae ask, sah,' the young recruit muttered softly.

Lord Moonstripe BlackHammer chuckled dryly. 'That's the name of that rogue hare. It's a good thing we always have an extra hidden scout out, eh? Varjak was taken by corsairs from Salamandastron when 'e was only a babe. I thought he died long seasons ago, so much better if he had!' A laugh echoed around the cavern as Moonstripe set down his war weapon. 'The vermin must've taken him in. Varjak's going to be a dangerous enemy, more so if we allow him to build an army.'

A soft knock on the door, and the badger lord of Salamandastron shouted: 'Come in!'

Lieutenant Hubert Greenburrow III entered the room. The rabbit's ears stood up stiffly and Hugh, as he preferred to be called, saluted the badger lord. 'I'm afraid we 'ave bad news, sah. Seems a few corsairs, 'bout ten score, 'ave landed a bit up the coast, wot! And what'll happen if…'

'…Varjak catches up to them? It may be Salamandastron's downfall.' The badger lord grimaced and picked up his hammer again, filling his lungs with air, as did Snowpaw Longears and Hubert Greenburrow III.

The war cry of the Long Patrol echoed out of the massive mountain, chilling the blood of anybeast that could hear it, namely the corsairs.

'EULALIAAAAA!'


End file.
